Sounding-box for automatic violin-pianos.



C. MARTINI.

SOUNDING BOX FOR AUTOMATIC VIOLIN PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2I, I913.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

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WITQNEEIJEEiI W76 THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. n. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

CEASAR MARTINI, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR TO THE RUDOLPH WURLITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW' YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SOUNDING-BOX FOR AUTOMATIC VIOLIN-PIANOS.

Application filed April 21, 1913.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CEASAR MARTINI, a subject of the Kingof Italy, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sounding- Boxes for Automatic Violin-Pianos, of which the following is specification.

This invention relates to a sounding board or box designed more especially for use in automatic violins and similar stringed instruments. In such an automatic instrument, in order to keep it in tune for a comparatively long period, it is desirable to use metallic strings rather than the cat-gut strings commonly used on violins.

It is the object of my invention to construct a sounding-box for automatic violins which will permit the use of metallic strings and at the same time produce a close imitation of the tones of an ordinary violin.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a face view of the improved sounding box. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 33, Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The sounding board consists of a comparatively shallow resonating box, comprising substantially parallel front and back boards or plates 1 and 2 connected at their margins by a wall or rim 3 extending entirely around the box and glued thereto. The sounding-box gradually diminishes in height or length from the bass toward the treble, in a common manner. The front board 1 is constructed of a suitable soft wood such as white pine, about one-eighth of an inch in thickness with the grain running lengthwise of the sounding box or parallel with the strings 4:. The back board 2 may be of maple or similar relatively hard wood.

A transverse opening or slot 5 is formed in the upper portion of the sounding box for the passage of traveling bows or bands 6 such as are ordinarily used for vibrating the strings of this type of automatic violins,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Serial No. 762,569.

one of these bow-bands being shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Glued or otherwise secured to the inner sides of the front and back boards 1 and 2 are ribs 7 which are arranged substantially parallel with the strings I and extend practically throughout the length of the sounding box and across the opening 5. These ribs serve to stiffen the boards 1 and 2, as well as distribute the vibrations over the same. In the preferred construction shown, the ribs of the two boards are located directly opposite or in line with each other, and each rib is gradually tapered or thinned from its base to its crown, as shown in Fig. 3, and also from its central portion toward both ends, as shown in Fig. 2.

8 and 9 indicate the upper and lower bridges over which the strings are stretched, which preferably consist of steel wire wound with copper wire, both the steel wire and the winding of the strings being graduated in thickness from the lowest to the highest tone of the instrument. The base of the lower bridge 9 is notched or cut out at intervals to form feet 10 which rest upon the top board 1. These feet are out of line with or break register with the ribs 7, as shown. By this arrangement, the vibrations of the bridge are freely imparted to the unstiflened portions of the sounding box and thence transmitted to all portions thereof, thereby improving the resonance of the box.

A thin layer 11 of soft material, such as felt or rubber, is preferably interposed be tween the strings and each bridge, to aid in eliminating metallic sounds of the strings and soften or modify the vibrations of the strings imparted to the bridge and by the latter to the sounding box.

It has been demonstrated that automatic violins containing this improved sounding box, closely imitate the peculiar quality of violin tones with the use of metallic strings instead of the usual gut strings.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic violin piano, the combination of a sounding box and strings strung thereon, the front plate of said box bow-bands to engage the strings, and ribs 10 being provided on its inner side With ribs arranged on the inner side of the sounding extending lengthwise of the strings, and a box and extending across said openin bridge for the strings having feet resting on Witness my hand this 15th day of ipril,

said front plate and arranged to break regis- 1913.

ter With said ribs. CEASAR MARTINI.

2. In an automatic violin piano, the com- Witnesses:

bination of a sounding box provided near C. F. GEYER,

one end With an opening for the passage of E .M. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Intent,

Washington, D. G. 

